


A gesture.

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 08:05:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15190451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: You are his daughter, and you want to do something to make him happy.





	A gesture.

**Author's Note:**

> To set the mood, you can listen to some relaxing piano ! That was what I was listening to while writing.
> 
> To note : I don't really use any sort of (y/n) or things like that. As for other names left out on purpose, the character will only be referenced by their relation to 'you', in italics.

"Dad ?"  
  
Approaching, you announced yourself both with voice and touch, the volume of the word low and your fingertips brushing delicatly on his shoulder. His gaze met yours right then, and with the subtle bat of an eyelash, he turned himself ever so slightly towards you.  
  
Taking another chair from around the table, center of the room, you sank slowly on it, and in the topic you came here for. Without any rush, you continued, cautiously.  
It was a bit hard, but you were determined.  
  
"I..." You didn't know where to start, so you took out your cellphone and soltly deposited it in between the two of you on the wooden surface. "I have a special guest, on the phone."  
  
Voice betraying the emotion that was underlying in you, you saw that he shifted in his position, bending a bit towards you. You wondered from wich emotion it was, but still, you had only begun.  
You risked a tiny smile.  
  
"We talked lenghty, about a lot of things. But let's say it unraveled a lot of things. The discussion was freeing and it came to a good conclusion."  
  
He shifted once again. His hands, that were previously holding his book acended towards his opposite arms, tying themselves in a signature pose : arms crossed. Making him the opposite of was you did in the phone wich said guest, you noted. Ignoring the tremollo that intensified in your speech, you rearranged your position as well and gulped as much air as possible.  
  
"We agreed that it would be okay for me to come to you. She would like to talk to you again. There's no catch, no problem, only a peaceful offer. She only misses you."  
  
The brows of your father knitted closer than normal.  
  
"It's _Half-sister._ "  
  
Your sheepish smile changed for a worried expression.  
  
"Do you... Do you want to talk to her ?"  
  
That was when his eyes fell upon the phone and stared at it for a moment. He froze in his stance, but you saw his eyes redden and begin to shine. As well as the blood that begun to paint his ears, neck and nose.  
_Sadness, anger._  
You could almost hear the his teeth gritting from where you were.  
_Anxiety, maybe._  
The heaviness on your sternum pressed a bit more than before. Questions swarmed in your head. _What if you only assumed things ? Was it insensitive ? What if you hurt him more than you did good ?_  
  
You wondered if, in the end, you had been wrong to do this.

 

* * *

 

"I understand if you don't want to reunite, but maybe, just maybe, you'd like to talk to him ? That'd be a start." You tried.  
  
" _To be honest with you, I don't know. It's been so long and... I don't even know if it would do good to both parties._ "  
  
"I understand."  
  
" _I can't even say I knew who he was._ " She confessed, voice sad and relunctant.  
  
After a long pause, staring at the window without really seeing the scenery in front of you, your voice carried on for you, and you blurted.  
  
"I don't have the answers, I guess. But I can try." You breathed in. "I don't know how he acted when he was with you, but if he was as he's been for a long time with us, then he was never the expressive type. Shown it more with his decisions."  
  
She kept silent, so you kept on.  
  
"Sometimes, he stares at his wallet, maybe just a second too long when he fetches his money. I saw that there's a picture of us, in the tiny plastic window for the photographs, but I can see his eyes trailing on the right part of it. To yours." You wanted to cry, but a tiny chuckle came out instead. "It's well protected. And, he even glued back one of the corners, torn with time."  
  
You still didn't hear anything on the other side of the line.  
  
"He thought he lost it, one day. He was so, so restless."  
  
You tone became more and more strangled.  
  
"When the previous was in a bad shape, Mom tried to gift him a new one, for one of his birthdays. He never used it, so I looked at it and... to confirm a theory, I bought him a third. This one had a place to hold the pics. It's his current."  
  
You eyes examined the grain of the flooring.  
  
"Whenever I tried to talk about you, he shut down. Sure, he was impassive, but he always, always answered. Even relunctantly. He only ever shut down when he was hurting."  
  
It demanded to take a deep breath, and a pregnant pause formed. All these memories, flooding your senses, all these words cascading from your lips, it was exhausting. Somewhere in the abyss of your mind, however, you knew it was _required_. This knowledge only you retained, was fundamental. It was everything, maybe, everything she had wanted to hear for so long. Everything she needed to hear for so long. Despite your tiredness, you had to deliver those informations.  
  
"But, you know, he's changed, ever since the illness."  
  
You explicited, as you knew she couldn't just trust you.  
You couldn't help the smile engraving itself fondly on your face, lifting the corners of your mouth in a tender expression. You wondered if your affection rang in the tone you employed, or if only the window would witness you like this.  
  
"He opened up. It's still subtle, but now that he's more aware of his own feelings, he express himself more. His shoulders drop when he's surprised. He dangles a bit when he's embarassed. He crosses his arms much less, only does when he's defensive. And he doesn't stay in the corners of the rooms anymore."  
  
Making the list was terrible but so good as well.  
  
"His face is still terrible, though. He's gained a wrinke between his brows from that."  
  
_And that was it._  
A deep laughter resonated in your ear, and the speaker seemed to come alive, moving along the sweet sound that echoed. You didn't dare disturb the superb moment, and let your half-sister indulge in it.  
  
Once she calmed down, the silence stretched comfortably.  
_The ice was finally gone._  
  
" _I remember my mother saying that he would get one._ " She took another second to take her breath. " _I bet it's deeper that the Great Canyon._ "  
  
That made you laugh as well.  
  
" _… I do miss him, greatly._ " She finally admitted, sighing.

 

* * *

 

You then, saw his arms detangling themselves. Hope rised in you almost immediatly, but wariness from anxiety kept you from getting lost in the first feeling. With a slow, painfully slow movement, his hand lifted up and he reached for the phone.  
  
It was as if you could breath again after drowning. Relief washed upon you and set itself on the banks of you soul.  
  
Increduously, he took the device and finally brought it to his head, his eyes not focused anymore. It was your exact portrait earlier when you talked to her.

  
  


* * *

  
  


" _May I ask something, before you go to him ?_ " She tested out, voice mild.  
  
"Of course, what is it ?" Your replied immediatly, happy to oblige any question.  
  
" _Why ?_ "  
  
"Why I called, you mean ?" You seeked out to comfirm if you understood correctly.  
  
" _Yes._ "  
  
"I..." The choice of words was hard. "He has suffered. All his life, recently. Now that he has survived his cancer, it's his mind who is healing slowly. I thought..."  
  
You trailed off, made a pause.  
  
" _You thought ?_ "  
  
Her voice was barely audible, but inviting. It encouraged you to continue.  
  
"I thought he deserved something. I just want him to be happy, and to gain instead of losing something, for once. And making you two bound again woulb be one of those things." You voice almost died in your throat, only to be revived by your merry conclusion. "I wanted to do that for him."  
  
You expired slowly.  
  
"And let's be honest, I'd be glad to get to know you, too."  
  
" _That's cute. You_ are _cute._ "  
  
Her tone was ringing like bells, profoundly joyful. It took you by surprise, and made you spout a noise close to a shaky breath, mixed with a laugh. A single tear crossed its way to you eye.  
  
"Thank you." You whispered.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The time stopped, as if itself blessing the reunion, and allowing all the persons involved to enjoy, savour it.  
" _Half-sister_  ?" Levi let out, carefully.  
  
" _Hi, Dad._ "  
  
He breathed out a little noise, and despite being a good meter away, your hearing catched the sound she made as well. In that moment, you could swear the way you emmited that little musical, emotional yet joyous giggle was hereditary. It was awfully familiar.  
_As if everything clicked, falling in place._  
  
_You could never have asked for more._  
  
He was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading !
> 
> As I'm not native, if you spot any grammar or spelling error, feel free to tell me !  
> I also purposely left out a lot of details, as the indentity of the mothers, the name of the half-sibling, what happened in the past or the start of the phone conversation ; I wanted to keep the story as open as possible and to focus on 'you' and Levi's relationship and your goal. I hope it makes sense !


End file.
